The Million Dollar Cat

"The Million Dollar Cat – The CIA's disastrous attempt to turn pets into spies" exposes "Operation Acoustic Kitty," a top-secret CIA project in the 1960s. The plan was to surgically implant microphones, batteries, and antennas into cats, turning them into mobile listening devices that could wander unnoticed into Soviet embassies. Author Sarah Furr details the gruesome and expensive process. After five years and an estimated $20 million spent on training and surgery, the first field test took place in a park in Washington, D.C. The cat was released to eavesdrop on two men on a bench. Instead, it wandered into the street and was immediately run over by a taxi. "The Million Dollar Cat" is a tragicomic look at the excesses of the Cold War intelligence community. It shows what happens when unlimited budgets meet a complete lack of common sense regarding animal behavior.